Peanut-digger.



No. 640,969. Patented Jan. 9. I900.

L. E. STARR.

PEANUT DEGGER.

(Application filed July 14, 1899.)

(N0 Model.)

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vLUOIUS E. STARR, OF CAMDEN, ALABAMA.

PEANUT- BIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,969, dated January 9, 1900.

Application filed July 14, 1899. Serial No. 723,825. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCIUS E. STARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Wilcox and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinPeanut-Diggers; and Idohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the class of agricultural implements designed for subsoiling and bringing to the surface tubers, groundnuts, and the like, being particularly intended for digging peanuts and bringing them to the surface.

An object is the construction of an implement of this character which will not choke or clog and which will permit the vines to ride over the digger or lifting-plate.

The chief feature of the invention resides in the particular construction of the companion standards and ground-bar, the same being formed from a single bar having its end portions bent and curved substantially as shown.

Another feature of the invention is the combination, with the ground-bar, of a digger or lifting plate and .rearwardly-extend'ing fingers, the latter being attached to the said bar between it and the digger or lifting-plate by the same means employed for attaching the said digger to the ground-bar.

Fora full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are necessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a peanutdigger constructed in accordance with the principles of thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the standards and ground-bar. Fig. 4: is a detail Fig. 5 is a View in perspective of a finger. detail section.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The beam 1 may be of wood or metal and have any desired form and is provided at its rear end with handles 2 in the usual manner. A clevis 3 is located at the front end of the beam, and its vertical portion is provided with a series of openings in vertical relation for attachment thereto of the draft at different relative points, so as to vary the pitch of the digger or lifting-plate.

Standards 4 are located upon opposite sides of the beam 1 and have their front ends bolted to opposite sides of said beam by the same fastening means and have their rear portions curving outwardly and downwardly, the lower terminals being connected bya horizontal bar 5, which inclines cross-sectionally in an upward and rearward direction from its lower front edge.

The standards 4 are of equal length and like curvature, and the horizontal bar 5 is depressed at right angles to the length of the beam and is formed from the same bar with the standards 4, the latter constituting end portions of the bar, which are bent upwardly and curved substantially as shown. The front ends of the standards approach each other and converge and are placed against opposite sides of the beam 1, against which they are clamped, the rear portions being divergent and curving downwardly and forwardly. The lower ends of the standards 4. project a like distance from the sides of the beam, thereby bringing the terminals of the horizontal or ground bar 5 an equal distance upon opposite sides of the beam, whereby side draft is oil)- viated and the implement caused to run in a straight line, as the resistance is equally distributed upon opposite sides of the beam.

The digger or lifting plate 6 has its rear edge portion bolted to the top side of the ground-bar 5 and inclines upwardly and rearwardly from its front cutting edge. The rear corners of the plate are cut away, as shown at 7, to receive the lower ends of the stand ards, thereby permitting the forward portion of the digger or lifting-plate to overlap or project beyond the front edge of the standards. The width-that is, the distance between the front and the rear edges-of the digger and the inclination thereof are such as to cause the horizontal bar 5 to clear the ground in the rear of the cutting edge of the plate 6.

A series of fingers or rods 8 project upwardly and rearwardly from the ground-bar 5 and digger 6 and have their front ends attached to said parts by the same bolts 9 employed for securing the digger 6 to the bar 5. These fingers or rods 8 incline upwardly and rearwardly and have their front portions fiattened and their terminals bent, as shown at 10, to overlap the forward edge of the groundbar 5, whereby relative turning of the fingers upon the fastening-bolts 9 is wholly obviated. By flattening the forward ends of the fingers, as shown at 11, the space between the plate 6 and bar 5 is enabled to be of a minimum distance, and the bent terminals 10 have a sufficient bearing engagement against the front edge of the bar 5 to prevent turning of the fingers 8 upon the bolts 9. The purpose of the fingers or rods 8 is to lift the vines and nuts and clear them of dirt, the latter falling through the spaces between the fingers and allowing the vines, with the attached nuts, to settle upon the earth in the rear of the implement.

By having the standards 4 spaced apart in the manner set forth they are enabled to straddle a row and offer little or no obstruction to the free passage of the vines and nuts over the digger, thereby obviating choking and the necessity for frequent cleaning.

Having thus described the invention, whatis claimed as new is- 1. In an implement of the character described, the combination with a beam, of a pair of standards secured at their forward ends to opposite sides of the beam and having their rear portions divergent and curving downwardly and forwardly, a horizontal ground-bar connecting the lower terminals of the standards and forming an integral part thereof and extending at right angles to the length of the beam and to an equal distance from opposite sides thereof, and a digger applied to the said horizontal bar, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with a beam, a bar having its end portions bent and curving upwardly, forwardly and inwardly and having their front ends brought against opposite sides of the beam and secured thereto, the middle portion of the bar inclining cross-sectionally upwardly and rearwardly and disposed at a right angle to the length of the said beam, and a digger applied to the middle or horizontal portion of the bar, substantially as described.

3. In an implement of the character described, the combination of the beam, standards secured at their front ends to opposite sides of the beam and curving outwardly, rearwardly and forwardly, a horizontal bar connecting the lower terminals of the standards, and a lifting-plate securedto the top side of the horizontal bar and having the rear corners of its terminals cut away to receive the lower ends of the standards and permit the forward portion of the plate to overlap said standards, substantially as described.

4. In an implement of the character described, the combination with the beam, side standards and a horizontal ground-bar connecting the lower ends of the standards, of a digger secured to said horizontal bar, and fingers having their front ends flattened and bent and secured between the said digger and horizontal bar with their bent terminals overlapping the forward edges of the said horizontal bar, substantially as described.

5. The herein-described implement for the purposes specified, comprising a beam, a bar having its end portions bent and curved upwardly, forwardly and inwardly and secured to opposite sides of the said beam, the horizontal portion of the bar inclining upwardly and rearwardly, a digger or lifting-plate secured to the horizontal portion of said bar, and spaced fingers having their front ends flattened and bent and secured between the digger and horizontal bar by the same means employed for attaching the digger to the bar and having their bent terminals overlapping the front edge of the said horizontal bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Lucius E. STARR. [n 8.]

- Witnesses:

RICHARD 0. J oNEs, VIRGINIUS W. J ONES. 

